2027 Best Value Human Services Schools in Kentucky
[Human Services](/majors/social-services-public-administration/human-services/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for human services students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Human Services Schools in Kentucky
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the human services degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Human Services Schools
Hazard Community And Technical College earned the #1 spot for value among human services schools in Kentucky. Located in the town of Hazard, Hazard Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for human services graduates is $15,500. Human Services graduates of Hazard Community And Technical College earn a median of $32,626 early in their careers. Set against $15,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in human services will find it at Southeast Kentucky Community And Technical College, which ranked #2. Set in the rural area of Cumberland, Southeast Kentucky Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $4,728, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $9,687 to complete the human services program here. Early-career human services graduates make about $35,946. Set against $9,687 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #3 makes Henderson Community College one of the best values for human services. Located in the rural area of Henderson, Henderson Community College is a mid-sized public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Human Services graduates carry a median of $13,528 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human services degree recipients from Henderson Community College generally make around $40,259. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in human services will find it at Big Sandy Community And Technical College, which ranked #4. Located in the town of Prestonsburg, Big Sandy Community And Technical College is a mid-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,728, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $17,993 to complete the human services program here. Early-career human services graduates make about $33,956. That is a strong return on a $17,993 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Maysville Community And Technical College earned it the #5 place for human services. Set in the rural area of Maysville, Maysville Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,728, with out-of-state students paying around $6,432. Typical student debt for human services graduates is $13,031. Human Services graduates of Maysville Community And Technical College earn a median of $37,769 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Madisonville Community College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value human services schools. Set in the town of Madisonville, Madisonville Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,728, compared with $6,432 for out-of-state students. Human Services graduates carry a median of $10,985 in student loans. Early-career human services graduates make about $41,084. Set against $10,985 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Gateway Community And Technical College came in at #7 for value in human services this year. Gateway Community And Technical College is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Florence. Students from in state pay about $4,728 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,432. Typical student debt for human services graduates is $21,100. Human Services graduates of Gateway Community And Technical College earn a median of $46,993 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,100 median debt.
Bluegrass Community And Technical College ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value human services schools. Set in the city of Lexington, Bluegrass Community And Technical College is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,808, compared with $6,512 for out-of-state students. Human Services graduates carry a median of $13,366 in student loans. Human Services graduates of Bluegrass Community And Technical College earn a median of $44,431 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $13,366 median debt.
Jefferson Community And Technical College earned the #9 position for value in human services this year. Located in the city of Louisville, Jefferson Community And Technical College is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $4,808 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $6,512. Students borrow a median of $13,917 to complete the human services program here. Soon after graduation, human services degree recipients from Jefferson Community And Technical College generally make around $44,346. That is a strong return on a $13,917 median debt.
Murray State University placed #10 among the best values for human services. Set in the town of Murray, Murray State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,900, with out-of-state students paying around $19,836. Human Services graduates carry a median of $23,420 in student loans. Soon after graduation, human services degree recipients from Murray State University generally make around $48,423. Set against $23,420 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Murray State University admits about 86% of applicants.
University Of The Cumberlands placed #11 among the best values for human services. Located in the town of Williamsburg, University Of The Cumberlands is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,875. Human Services graduates carry a median of $22,783 in student loans. Early-career human services graduates make about $32,938. Set against $22,783 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of The Cumberlands admits about 99% of applicants.
Lindsey Wilson College placed #12 among the best values for human services. Lindsey Wilson College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the town of Columbia. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,808. Human Services graduates carry a median of $22,774 in student loans. Early-career human services graduates make about $29,318. That is a strong return on a $22,774 median debt.
More Human Services Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
